Class of Service (COS) is a form of priority queuing that provides a way of classifying and prioritizing packets based on application type (voice, video, file transfers, transaction processing), the type of user (CEO, secretary), and/or other settings. COS can be divided among several priority levels, such as, for example, COS1 through COS4. COS classifies packets by examining packet parameters or COS markings and places packets in queues of different priorities based on predefined criteria. Low-priority traffic, such as COS4, is “drop eligible,” while high-priority traffic, such as COS1, gets the best available service.
Prior to provisioning and/or changing network services, it can be difficult for a potential and/or current network service provider to reasonably determine an appropriate COS for a given customer. Likewise, customers with large data networks are often unable to precisely articulate their aggregate traffic patterns.